Artemio Ricarte

Artemio Ricarte (20 October 1866-31 July 1945) was a Filipino general who served as Chief of Staff of the Philippine Revolutionary Army from 22 March 1897 to 22 January 1899, preceding Antonio Luna. He fought in the Philippine War of Independence and the Philippine-American War, and he later played a role in the establishment of the pro-Japanese "Second Philippine Republic" during World War II.

Biography
Artemio Ricarte was born in Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines on 20 October 1866, and he worked as a primary school teacher in San Francisco de Malabon, Cavite before joining the Katipunan and becoming a part of the nationalist cause. On 31 August 1896, at the start of the Philippine War of Independence, Ricarte and his Katipunan revolutionaries overwhelmed the Spanish Army garrison of San Francisco de Malabon, and, on 22 March 1897, Ricarte was elected Chief of Staff of the Philippine Revolutionary Army. At the start of the Spanish-American War in 1898, he was in command of the Philippine forces at Santa Ana, and he assisted in the capture of Manila. However, the United States - which had helped the Philippines oust the Spanish from the country - refused to recognize Philippine independence and instead decided to annex the islands. At the start of the Philippine-American War in early 1899, Ricarte was in command of Philippine troops around Manila, and he was imprisoned by the US for six months after being captured while trying to infiltrate the American lines. He was exiled to Guam for two years, and, when he refused to take an oath of allegiance to the United States, he was banned from the Philippines in 1903. He instead headed to Hong Kong and from there infiltrated the Philippines while disguised as a seaman, intending to rekindle the revolution against the Americans. He fell ill in early 1904, however, hampering his efforts. In May 1904, he was recaptured and spent the next six years at Bilibid Prison, where he was visited by the American vice president Charles W. Fairbanks. On 26 June 1910, he was released just 6 years into his 11-year sentence, but, when he again refused to swear allegiance to the United States, he was again deported to Hong Kong. In 1915, he moved to Japan, and, during World War II, the Japanese prime minister Hideki Tojo asked him to help maintain peace and order in the occupied Philippines after 1942. Ricarte agreed in exchange for Japan recognizing Philippine independence, and, in 1943, Japan granted the Philippines independence as the Second Philippine Republic. Near the end of the war, he fled from the American and Filipino liberation forces and died of dysentery at Kalinga on 31 July 1945.